Roller skate



v Oct. v 'G' FLJLLER l .ROLLER SKATE Filed Aug. 22, 1944 y VENToR.

` GRANT l.. FULLER.

Patented Oct. 28, 1947 UNITED sTATEs PATENT- OFFICE ROLLER SKATE Grant L. Fuller, Cleveland Heights,-Ol1io Application August 22, 1944, Serial No. 550,497

2 Claims.

a skate of the character described in which thev tilting movement of the foot plate relatively to the supporting structure is so controlled as to permit increased maneuverability without danger of the skater falling or of damage or distor.

tion to the skates.

Another object of the invention is to provide skates which have incorporated therein structure permitting an improved action in free-style skat- 111g.

A further object of the invention is to provide a skate of reduced overall width.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same- V Fig. 1 is a plan view, partially broken away, of a skate embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the skate, with the rear portion thereof in longitudinal cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the skate, with one of the rollers and associated elements in crosssection, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 4'-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the skate will be seen to comprise a foot plate I having a, toe plate portion Ia and a heel plate portion Ib.

Secured to the aforesaid toe and heel plate' portions, as by means of rivets 2, are hangers 3, each of which is formed to provide a downwardly extending inclined socket portion 3a and a downwardly extending inclined pivot or thrust member 3b, the lower end of which is smoothly rounded. The member 3b of each hanger is inclined in an opposite direction to the socket 3a of that hanger, but the sockets and thrust members of each hanger are inclined oppositely to the corresponding socket and element of the other member.

|The skate further includes trucks each of which comprises an axle portion 5 in the form of a transversely extending tubular structure in which an axle or spindle is mounted and se cured against rotation as by means ci a pin 'l 2 (Fig. 2). Extending vertically upwardfrom the axle portion 5 of each truck is an arm 8, Ywhich is formed integrally with such axle portion, and the upper end'of which is recessed as at 9 for the reception of a socket element I0, the element Ii] being preferably made of a Wear-resisting steel and being secured in such recess by a pressed fit. The socket element Ill is recessed to provide a smoothly rounded seat or thrust surface for the pivot member 3b. The lower end of the member 3b is preferably of hemispherical form, and the thrust surface of the socket element I0 is likewise of hemispherical form, so as to provide, in effect, a ball and socket joint between these'parts, permitting substantially universal movement of the truck relatively to the hanger.

The upper portion of the wall of the recess in they socket element I Il is ilared to permit such universal movement.

Each of the trucks further includes, as an integral part thereof, a second arm II, which is of circular form, the axis of which is substantially in alignment with the axis of the socket portion 3a of the hanger 3. The arm l I is provided with an elongated opening or slot I2, the walls of which are liared for a purpose to be presently described, and is "further provided with an annular flange I3. The arm II forms a seat for a cushioning element, such as a block of rubber te, the base of which is confined by the flange I3. The rubber block I4 is of conical form and has secured to its upper or smaller end thereof, preferably as by vulcanization, a second block of rubber l5, of cylindrical form and of substantially'the same diameteras the upper end oi the block i4, the block I5 being preferably made from a grade of rubber which is harder or less resilient than that from which the block I4 is formed. The upper end of the block I5 is conned Within an inverted metallic retaining cap or cup I5, between which and the lower end of the socket 3a a nut I'l is interposed.

The nut Il is'in threaded engagement with a screw I8, which extends through the slot l2 and axially through the rubber blocks I4 and I5, the cap l5, and the socket 3a, the screw being also in threaded engagement with the socket 3a, which is internally-threaded for this purpose. A washer I 9 is interposed between the head of the screw I8 and the lower surface of the arm I I.

The skate further includes a frame bar 20 having upturned ends 2| which are interposed between the head of the nuts II and the retainer caps I6, the nuts Il having reduced lower por- -are rigidly connected `to the 'foot -in all directions relatively to the trucks, this tilttions 22 which extend into openings oi the same size in the ends 2| of the frame bar.

The pressure exerted upon the cushioning blocks I4 and I5, and therefore the resiliency of these blocks may be regulated by adjusting the screws I8, the nuts I1 being utilized as locking nuts to lock the screws in adjusted positions. In order to prevent portions of the blocks I4 from being squeezedinto the slots" .I2 incidental V.to such adjustment, aber disczorV washer 25ct-a diameter greater than the width of the slots I2 may be molded or otherwise secured to the lower faces of the blocks I4 adjacent the openings in these blocks, the blocks being recessed adjacent the openings for receiving the discs.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that both arms of eachtruckV arepivotally connected to rigid portions of the skate, the arms 8 being pvotally connected to the pivot members 3b and the screws i8 being 'pivotally movable relativelytothe--arm II',/the"flared walls of the slots v i2 permitting isuch :movement The washers I9 serve as fulcrums fort-he heads of `the screws-IB incidental vtosuch pivotal move- 'ment Due to the aforesaidpivotaly connections, the

foot plate 4and other portions of the skate which plate'may tilt ing movement beingresisted and controlled by the rubber blocks vIsandzll. Due to the conical shape of the block4 M-'and'thefactthat this "block is exposed vorrunconine'dfor substantially its entire length, the resistance tothe aforesaid tilting increases -insubstantially directlpropor` '-tion to the distance .along the block I4 from the foot plate, a condition lwhich-hasibeen'found to Abe highly desirable, 'particularlylbecause it provides a greatly improved action `for 'so-called free-style skating. In other-words, the skatel .permits increasedmaneuverability for the skater,

enabling the 4skater tdexecutemorediiillcult` and `complex movements, withoutdangerv of rspilling or damage toA the skates.

It may be noted thatthefslotl2iis` longerthan vih' found in present-'dayskates ofithis-type, and lthatthe area ofthebase ofthe rubberblocks I4 vis 'considerably i greater-.than the area' of cushioning blocks found in 4such skates. v'Ihese factors tend to reduce'to aminimumv the hazard of the upv :per end .ofi the slot-:being 'forced against'. the screw I8. In skates of; asimilar .typewhicharernow in 11se,the screw I8 isfrequently bent, :due to the factlthat: free istyle.skaters,..requiring. more rub- ;ber :resistance than istpresently provided, will "tightens the adjustingfscrew I8'to such an lextent -as to bring the ends of' the'slots through which the yscrew extends "into contact with the-screw,y creating a condition Whereinfthe'shock o a jump will cause the screw to bendnor break,or even cause some other part of the skatetogive way. The use of hard and unyielding rubber blocks,

.in an attempt to prevent theslot ends from touching the screw, has been tried by .thousands of skaters, and hasbeendiscarded, .because such an f expedientnot only eliminates the natural vertical cushioning .eiect of the rubber,1but greatly reduces also the sidewise tilting effect, thereby causing a slipping of the'wheels on turns. `The present inventionrretains the'desirable cushion- ,ternally threaded for thereception .of socket-head l0 screrfs'lcthe heads o'f whichfbearsagainst bearing-retaining Washers 2l, and project to only a slight extent beyond the aforesaid outboard faces 1n this way, the overall width of the skate Aist considerably reduced.

i...isto..be understood that the form of my invention,herewith shown and described, is to he take-n.aszzaipreferred example of the same, and

thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the `scope'of the subjoine'd claims.

Having thus describedv lmy inventionQIf claim:

ljln a rol-ler 'skate of the characterdescribed, a foot plate; a truck supporting said foot' plate, said foot plate being tiltable'relativeto the truck; and a resilient, rubber-l-ikernember interposed between the truck-'and'foot plate forlnormally positioning said foot'l plate'in a plane-atA a given angle relativetothetruek, 1saidmember being supported at opposite ends by relatively rigid members, said member beingin' the -iormr of a conical section intermediate -said members Vand the base of said memberebeing supported by said truck whereby* resistance-` to tilting of said foot plate from said angle relative to the truck in- -creases :as the Vdegree -of such tilting increases.

2. In a roller skate of the character described,

`a foot plate; -a truck'supporting-'saidfoot plate; `a resilient, rubber-likeV member interposed between the truc-k and foot plate, said member'- having an openingextendingz therethrough; -a plate forreceiving an end surface oisaidmem-ber, lsaid plate having 'an opening `in'alignn'rent'with `said `opening through saidmember; means for 'retaining saidmember in position including; a shaft extending through said"'opening'throu'gh said member, said member :having arecessed'area in said end surfaceysaid openingthrough' the member opening into saidrecessed area; and a relatively-rigid member YdisposedV in' saidrecessed' area, said; rigid member having an "opening "therethrough in alignment with the opening through'said resilient member.

GR'ANT L. FULLER.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file. of .this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

